The Art of Celebrating Cancer

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Dirty Dishes. September 18, 2015.

Alaina is here you guys! The twins, Alaina and Paige are my friends from Texas that I actually met 3 years ago in Germany. They were au pairs the same time I was and man, they were an absolute God send to me during that time abroad. The awesome thing is, they have remained faithful and amazing friends. They challenge me everyday and show me what it means to invest in and genuinely care about the people in my life. It’s funny though, we all met in Germany, then we traveled to Ireland 4 months later, then Alaina flew to Sunriver to see me a year-ish later, then Paige flew to Spokane to see me 2 years later, and now here I sit with Alaina in Seattle 3 years later. How amazing is that!? And how funny is it that they’ve still never been to my hometown. Reminiscing with Alaina has made me see the value in having long-term friends. I mean, we’ve seen each other through so many life stages and we’ve watched each other grow. That’s a really unique thing. Find a life long friend you guys, or friends. Make the time for them, invest in them, treasure them.

There have been dirty dishes at my apartment in the kitchen. Everywhere. There is a certain someone on our floor that dirties up all the dishes and just leaves them for us or the maid to clean up! Ugh it makes me so mad and frustrated. I want to do what we used to do at my house at Moody and just set all the dishes in front of their door. And the maid doesn’t even say anything! I’m the worst you guys because in my mind I am super confrontational but in person I don’t say a word. Even my haircut for example, I DESPISED it and I still grinned, paid, and left. I’ve had some serious conviction about it because I’m growing really bitter over the injustice of it all. The fact that they don’t respect us, the maid, the fact that they are so blessed to be in a wonderful housing unit for so cheap! So I grumble and become a bitter, passive-aggressive person. It’s not God honoring. I don’t have an ounce of love, generosity, humbleness, selflessness, or even self-control when it comes to the dishes. I feel it and I know that I am not walking in the gospel while I am huffing and puffing under my breath because there is a filthy pan on the stove.

Then I realized that God is probably allowing this to happen on purpose for me to practice loving through the injustice. When I’m honest, I sit there and think, “They don’t deserve it.” or “I actually clean my dishes.” Wow. HOLD UP. They don’t deserve it Hayden? Come on girl, what do we all deserve? For the wages of sin is….death. That’s what we all deserve because we are all sinners. And yet, God loves me, He wants what’s best for me, He saved me, He has mercy on me, He has GRACE. And if I want to be more Christ-like I need to show that same love, compassion, and grace on the “dish leavers.”

Where do you need to show love and grace this week? Your co-worker for taking an extra smoking break? Your wife for leaving the car on empty? Whatever it looks like, seek it out and change your heart to be more like Jesus. Love ya!